Bedford Borough Council is required by law to protect and maintain its public rights of way and to keep them available for public use. However, many paths are obstructed and cannot be used. Furthermore, not all paths are recorded. Some of these will be extinguished and lost for ever if not claimed by the year 2026. The Council could do more to resolve these issues and I believe it should focus its efforts to do so.

Monday, 16 December 2013

Wyboston, Chawston & Colesden Footpath No. A11E

Wyboston, Chawston & Colesden
Footpath No. A11E cannot be used because it has been obstructed by the
landowners over whose land the footpath crosses and the Council has done nothing
to have the obstructions removed.“Obstructing
a PROW is a criminal offence. Local authorities have the right to demand that
an obstruction be removed. If you refuse or neglect to do this, they are
allowed to remove the obstruction and recover the costs of doing so from you.”Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs – 13 June 2013.If that isn’t bad enough, one of the
landowners, Mrs Day, of Moat Cottage, applied to Bedford Borough Council for a
public path order to extinguish the path (close it to the public forever). The Council (which
doesn’t have to accept applications of this type) carried out consultations to
gauge some public opinion. No one responded in support. Bedfordshire Rights of
Way Association, Higham Ferrers Footpath Group and the Ramblers all said that
they would object to an order. The Open Spaces Society wasn’t consulted but
informed the Council that it would object if an order was made. Therefore, of those consulted: those For - none; those Against - the many.

So the Council made an order (click here to see the order plan).The Council will do it’s best to get
rid of this public right of way in the interests of the landowners, and the
public will contribute toward the costs including those arising from a public
inquiry. And bear in mind that the Council is trying to find savings in order
to further reduce its budget – services have been cut, redundancies announced and I
understand that assets are to be sold.

Moat Cottage

A locked gate (on right) is one of the illegal obstructions

(Click image to expand it)

The Council says that the nearby
Footpath No. 44 will serve as an alternative path. The casual reader may think
that a reasonable proposition but look closely at the plan - that path is also obstructed.I can understand a householder not wanting
the public crossing their land especially when a path is in close
proximity to their house. But millions of houses are close to footpaths, pavements and other
highways. Nor is the footpath new or recently discovered. It’s probably
centuries old – the house itself is a Grade II listed building dated as 17th Century.I cannot understand why in the face of such
opposition, with more important things to do and with a reducing budget with which to
do it, the Council can decide it is a good idea (or “expedient”, as the legislation requires it) to
close this footpath forever.Others should understand that it is my right to be able to
walk this path.Why would I want to?Well, one of the
joys of walking is the knowledge that sometimes you are walking in the steps of
those who did so, many years ago. Historically, this path is just as important as the English Heritage Listed and
therefore protected 17th Century house it passes. There is evidence for human
activity in what is now Wyboston that comes from the Neolithic period (Stone Age, c.
4,000 – 2,000 BC). Footpath No. A11E was formerly part of the The Ouse Valley Way. That section of the long distance trail was probably changed to Footpath No. 44 when Footpath No. A11E was obstructed but it could (and should) be changed back or at least be available as an alternative and more interesting section for those walking that trail.The consultees opposed to an order considerately suggested diverting the path out of the property instead of extinguishing it, but no; the applicant and the Council want it gone.Would not that part at least, dear reader, make you just a little bit grumpy too?

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About Me

Crikey - how to sum me up. A son, brother, soldier, husband, father,
grandfather, local government officer, and nowadays a retiree and part time
whinger who enjoys walking locally in the historic county of Bedfordshire and loves
to backpack along the UK's long distance trails.

I am the Open Spaces Society’s representative for Bedford
Borough and I am a member of the council’s Local Access Forum.

I get grumpy because I strongly believe that my local council could and should do more to protect and open up the public rights of way network - as it has said it will. Our council's elected members and senior managers do not seem to care about our public rights of way.

Oh, and I enjoy pints of bitter and eat far too much. And I love to begin sentences with And.